Disposable packaging, in particular for a set of packages

ABSTRACT

Disposable packaging comprising a set of packages comprising a cardboard box provided with a first side panel, a second side panel, an expulsion side panel, a hold and/or pull side panel, a top panel, and a bottom panel, wherein the expulsion side panel and the hold and/or pull side panel are opposing side panels. The expulsion side panel and the hold and/or pull side panel may comprise an inspection aperture surrounded by a perimetrical frame that holds the set of packages, and the frame of the expulsion side panel and the hold and/or pull side panel can be torn manually to open it.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to disposable packaging, in particular for a setof packages. It has features of a Shelf Ready Packaging (SRP) box. Thepackaging has four side walls, like a prism with a rectangular or squarebase, which closes both at the top and at the bottom by means of fourflaps, and laterally by means of a fifth seam flap located at one of itsfour corners. The packaging facilitates shelf placement of the productinside it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that the cost of restocking product on the shelves ofcommercial establishments comprises one of the most significant items inthe operating costs of commercial distributors for the mass market.

Distributors are therefore asking manufacturers to present theirproducts in boxes that facilitate shelf placement, called SRP. In onespecific implementation, these boxes are placed directly on the shelvesafter having removed a hood or cover, exposing the product in the boxitself on a type of tray, which once empty, must be removed from theshelf to be destroyed.

However, there are different reasons why this type of solution may notbe attractive for certain manufacturers:

-   -   In some categories it is preferable that the product not be        covered by any type of cardboard, otherwise it hinders visual        and physical access to it by the buyer, which results in a        reduction of sales.    -   The cost of this type of box with a lid, depending on the type        of implementation, is much higher than the cost of a        conventional cardboard box, known as the B1 box. Boxes with lids        use more cardboard and are better finished; they also require        significant investments in the manufacturers' facilities in        order to change the production processes for making the boxes.        The impact on the manufacturers of these extra costs and        investments may be much greater than the savings made in        distribution, so this type of solution may not be economically        sustainable from the point of view of the extended supply chain.    -   Moving from a B1 box to an SRP box with a lid in most cases        means an increase in the amount of material used, therefore        implementing this type of solution is counter to the        environmental sustainability objectives of the manufacturers.

Utility model ES1073781 describes disposable packaging comprising acardboard box provided with four side panels, a top panel, and a bottompanel, including a side panel for expulsion of the set of packages andan opposing side panel for holding and/or pulling the box, and saidopposing side panels having an inspection aperture surrounded by aperimetrical frame that holds the packages; the frame of the expulsionpanel can be torn manually to open it, so that the set of packages canpass through the open expulsion panel, depositing it on a surface, suchas a shelf of a commercial establishment, while in turn the frame of thehold and/or pull panel is capable of being pulled and/or held until ithas been completely removed from the box.

A structurally simple cardboard box is obtained that facilitates theremoval and placement of a set of packages on the shelves of commercialestablishments, thus allowing for a reduction of up to two-thirds of thedistributors' costs of restocking the commercial establishment.

All of this without adding extra costs for manufacturers who, inaddition, do not need to make any change to their processes since thisbox is processed in exactly the same way as the known state-of-the-artB1 box, this being a B1 box in which two openings have been made in theform of a window on two of its opposing side panels.

As mentioned, each window is composed of a cardboard frame around theopening of said window. The function of this frame is to maintain thenecessary rigidity of the box so that the box and product content do notget damaged and/or fall out or get stolen during the production,palletizing, and distribution processes.

In addition, no trace of it remains on the shelf of the commercialestablishment, which facilitates product visibility, order, and clarityon the shelf.

On the other hand, said box is manufactured using a smaller quantity ofcardboard, which means improved environmental sustainability and mayresult in a cost savings for manufacturers.

It should be pointed out that once the box is empty, the operator shouldfold it so that it can subsequently be recycled. To do this, theoperator must break the frame of the hold and/or pull panel in order toopen and then fold it. In practice, this process of tearing and foldingthe boxes has proven to be slow and arduous. Moreover, it is oftendifficult to fold the boxes properly which implies increased volume ofthe discarded boxes.

Another drawback of this type of packaging is that for packaging withsmaller dimensions, the inspection aperture, defined by the frame of thehold and/or pull panel, has proven too small for a hand to pass throughfor the purpose of holding onto the packages when pulling the box orpushing the packages while holding the box (or any interveningoperation) during the process of extracting the packages. As aconsequence, this type of box is not suitable for small packaging which,due to its configuration, has an inspection aperture on the hold and/orpull panel that is too small for a hand to pass through.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the disposable packaging, in particular for a set ofpackages, of the present invention, is to overcome the drawbackspresented by packaging known in the art, providing a structurally simplepackaging that optimizes the process of folding the boxes for theirsubsequent recycling, as well as the process of holding and/or pushingthe packages while they are being placed on the shelf of a commercialestablishment.

The disposable packaging of the present invention, comprises a cardboardbox provided with four side panels, a top panel, and a bottom panel,including a side panel for the expulsion of the set of packages and anopposing side panel for holding and/or pulling the box, and saidopposing side panels including an inspection aperture surrounded by athick perimetrical frame that holds the packages, wherein the frame ofthe expulsion panel can be torn manually to open it, so that the set ofpackages can pass through the open expulsion panel depositing it on asurface, such as a shelf of a commercial establishment, while in turnthe frame of the hold and/or pull panel is capable of being pulledand/or held until it has been completely removed from the box. It ischaracterized in that said frame of the side hold and/or pull panel canalso be torn manually to open it, facilitating the process of holdingand/or pushing the packages onto the surface while the box is pulled offand/or held, as well as the process of folding the box for itssubsequent recycling.

Due to the fact that the frame on the side hold and/or pull panel canalso be torn for opening it, the process of folding the boxes isoptimized once they are empty and ready to be discarded and subsequentlyrecycled. Therefore, the operator does not need to make a great effortto break and open the hold and/or pull panel in order to fold the box,as occurred with packaging known in the art, resulting in a fast andeffective process.

Furthermore, when boxes with small dimensions are used and which, due totheir configuration, have an inspection aperture too small to pass ahand through to hold or push the packages when it is necessary to pullor hold the box while extracting the packages, it is possible to fullyor partly tear the frame of said side hold and/or pull panel so that thepackages can be extracted.

In one embodiment, the frame of the hold and/or pull panel and the frameof the expulsion panel respectively include lines of perforation orsimilar to facilitate tearing and opening them.

In one embodiment, the box is made from a single flat cardboard blank,with perforated areas, pre-perforated lines, and provided with slits orlines.

In one embodiment, the box is made of corrugated cardboard formed ofthree or five layers, with the corrugation lines arranged vertically orhorizontally.

In one embodiment, said hold and/or pull panel includes two inner flapsadjacent to both upper and lower edges of the same respectively, andwhich remain hidden under both top and bottom panels of the box.

Generally, the expulsion panel includes two inner flaps adjacent to bothupper and lower edges of the same respectively, and which remain hiddenunder both top and bottom panels of the box.

Optionally, the expulsion panel includes a single inner flap adjacent tothe upper edge of the same, which remains hidden under the top panel ofthe box, the inner flap adjacent to the lower edge of said expulsionpanel having been previously eliminated to facilitate the removal of thepackages.

Also optionally, the expulsion panel lacks inner flaps, having beenpreviously eliminated to facilitate the removal of the packages.

Therefore, the expulsion panel may include two flaps, upper and lowerrespectively, or a single inner flap at its upper portion, or may notinclude any inner flap. Consequently, when there is no flap in the lowerarea of the expulsion panel, the extraction of the packages is madenotably easier, preventing them from becoming stuck in the box duringthe expulsion process.

In one embodiment, said inner upper and/or lower flap of the expulsionpanel includes a flattened edge in the shape of a wedge to facilitatethe expulsion of the packages.

Optionally, said inner upper and/or lower flap of the expulsion panelincludes an edge that is shaped according to the shape of the set ofpackages it contains, to optimize the surface that is in contact withthe packages during their expulsion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating the description of what is set forthabove, some drawings are attached which, schematically and only by wayof non-limiting example, represent a practical case of an embodiment ofthe disposable packaging, in particular for a set of packages of thepresent invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the box of the invention that contains aset of packages;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box showing the torn frame of theexpulsion panel;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the box placed on a shelf of acommercial establishment, with the hold and/or pull panel facing thefront and the open expulsion panel facing the back of the shelf;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the unit, showing the extraction of thebox, with the set of packages coming out of the box and being placed onthe shelf;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the set of packages placed on theshelf and with the box completely removed;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the empty box, folded for subsequentrecycling;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a flat cardboard blank with projected foldlines for shaping the box, where the expulsion panel includes two innerflaps, upper and lower respectively, according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a flat cardboard blank with projected foldlines for shaping the box, where the expulsion panel includes a singleinner flap at its upper portion, according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a flat cardboard blank with projected foldlines for shaping the box, where the expulsion panel does not includeany inner flaps, according to a third embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an assembled box, according to thesecond embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, showing the inner flaps of bothhold and expulsion panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 6, the disposable packaging, in particularfor a set of packages 2, is composed of a B1 type cardboard box 1 withfour side panels 3 a-3 d, a top panel 4, and a bottom panel 5.

Concerning the side panels, the box 1 includes a side panel 3 a forexpulsion of the set of packages 2 and an opposing side panel 3 b forholding and/or pulling the box 1, said opposing side panels 3 a,3 bincluding an inspection aperture 6 surrounded by a thick perimetricalframe 7 a,7 b that holds the packages 2, wherein the frame 7 a of theexpulsion panel 3 a can be torn manually to open it, so that the set ofpackages 2 can pass through the open expulsion panel 3 a depositing iton a surface 8, such as a shelf of a commercial establishment, while inturn the frame 7 b of the hold and/or pull panel can be pulled and/orheld until it has been fully removed from the box 1, as explained inmore detail below.

In this way, a structurally simple cardboard box 1 is obtained thatfacilitates the extraction and placement of a set of packages 2 on theshelves 8 of commercial establishments, thus allowing for a reduction ofup to two-thirds of the distributors' costs of restocking the commercialestablishment, without negatively impacting sales, costs, orsustainability objectives of the manufacturers.

The procedure for opening the package 1 and the placement of the set ofpackages 2 on the shelves 8 of the commercial establishments isdescribed below:

First of all, the four sides of the frame 7 a of the expulsion panel 3 aare broken manually to open it, using the proper perforated lines 9 a,leaving intact the frame 7 b of the opposing hold and/or pull panel 3 b,as can be observed in FIG. 2.

Then, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the box 1 is placed on the shelf 8,positioning the hold and/or pull panel 3 b at the front, so that theexpulsion panel 3 a is facing the back of the shelf.

Next, optionally the four sides of the frame 7 b of the holding and/orside panel 3 b can be broken manually using suitable perforated lines 9b to facilitate tearing them.

Then, referencing FIG. 4, the box 1 can be removed, leaving the products2 on the shelf 8. To do this, the products 2 are held with one hand 10against the back of the shelf, while the other hand 11 pulls the frame 7b of the hold and/or pull panel 3 b, so that the packages 2 pass throughthe expulsion panel 3 a, until the box 1 has been completely removed.

Alternatively, this operation for extracting the packages 2 can beperformed in another way (not shown), by holding the frame 7 b of thehold and/or pull panel 3 b with one hand while using the other hand topush the packages 2 against the back of the shelf 8 until said packages2 have been fully extracted from the expulsion panel 3 a.

Having previously torn the frame 7 b facilitates the process of holdingor pushing the packages 2 while the box 1 is being removed or held,mainly in the case of small-sized boxes 1 where it is difficult toinsert the hand 10 into the inspection aperture 6 of the hold and/orpull panel 3 b to grasp the frame 7 b.

Finally, the set of packages 2 rests on the surface 8 of the shelf (seeFIG. 5), and the box 1 is easily discarded.

The operator should proceed to fold and stack it so it can subsequentlybe recycled (see FIG. 6). To facilitate this folding process, the foursides of the frame 7 b should be broken by the perforated lines 9 b,unless they were torn previously during the process of placing thepackages 2 on the surface 8 of the shelf as described.

This thus optimizes the process of folding the boxes 1 once they areempty for their disposal and subsequent recycling. Therefore, theoperator does not need to make a great effort to break and open the holdand/or pull panel 3 b in order to fold the box 1, as occurred withpackaging known in the art, resulting in a fast and effective process.

The box 1 is made from a single flat cardboard blank, with perforatedareas, pre-perforated lines, and provided with fold slits or lines, ascan be seen in FIGS. 7 to 9.

In one embodiment, the box 1 is made of corrugated cardboard formed ofthree or five layers, with the corrugation lines arranged vertically orhorizontally.

As can be seen in FIG. 7, the hold and/or pull panel 3 b includes twoinner flaps 12 b adjacent to both upper and lower edges of the samerespectively, and which remain hidden under both top 4 and bottom 5panels of the box 1.

In accordance with a first embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the expulsionpanel 3 a includes two inner flaps 12 a adjacent to both upper and loweredges of the same respectively, and which remain hidden under both top 4and bottom 5 panels of the box 1.

In accordance with a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, theexpulsion panel 3 a includes a single inner flap 12 a adjacent to theupper edge of the same, which remains hidden under the top panel 4 ofthe box 1, the inner flap adjacent to the lower edge of said expulsionpanel 3 a having been previously eliminated to facilitate the removal ofthe packages 2.

According to a third embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the expulsion panel 3 alacks inner flaps, having been previously eliminated to facilitate theremoval of the packages 2.

Therefore, the expulsion panel 3 a may include two flaps 12 a, upper andlower respectively, or a single inner flap 12 a at its upper edge, ormay not include any inner flap. Consequently, when there is no flap inthe lower area of the expulsion panel 3 a (see FIGS. 8 to 10), theextraction of the packages 2 is made notably easier, preventing themfrom becoming stuck in the box 1 during the expulsion process.

Said upper and/or lower inner flap 12 a of the expulsion panel 3 a mayinclude a flattened edge in the shape of a wedge to facilitate theexpulsion of the packages 2.

Optionally, said inner upper and/or lower flap 12 a of the expulsionpanel 3 a includes an edge that is shaped according to the shape of theset of packages 2 it contains, to optimize the surface that is incontact with the packages 2 during their expulsion.

Even though a specific embodiment of the invention has been referenced,it is evident for a person skilled in the art that the describeddisposable packaging, in particular for a set of packages, is subject tonumerous variations and modifications, and that all the detailsmentioned can be substituted by others that are technically equivalent,without going outside of the scope of protection defined by the attachedclaims.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation ofany document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect toany invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in anycombination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests ordiscloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning ordefinition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning ordefinition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, themeaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shallgovern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. Disposable packaging comprising a set of packagescomprising a cardboard box provided with a first side panel, a secondside panel, an expulsion side panel, a hold and/or pull side panel, atop panel, and a bottom panel, wherein the expulsion side panel is usedfor the expulsion of the set of packages and the hold and/or pull sidepanel is used for holding the cardboard box, wherein the expulsion sidepanel and the hold and/or pull side panel are opposing side panels;wherein the expulsion side panel and the hold and/or pull side panelcomprise an inspection aperture surrounded by a perimetrical frame thatholds the set of packages, wherein the frame of the expulsion side panelcan be torn manually to open it, such that the set of packages can passthrough the expulsion side panel depositing it on a surface, wherein theframe of the hold and/or pull side panel can be pulled and/or held untilit has been fully removed from the cardboard box, such that said frameof the hold and/or pull side panel can be torn manually to open it. 2.The disposable packaging of claim 1, wherein the frame of the holdand/or pull side panel and the frame of the expulsion side panel,comprise lines of perforation to facilitate tearing and opening.
 3. Thedisposable packaging of claim 1, wherein the cardboard box is made froma single flat cardboard blank, wherein the cardboard blank comprisesperforated areas, pre-perforated lines, fold slits, or fold lines. 4.The disposable packaging of claim 1, wherein the cardboard box is madeof corrugated cardboard formed of at least three layers, wherein thecorrugated cardboard comprises corrugation lines arranged vertically orhorizontally.
 5. The disposable packaging of claim 1, wherein the holdand/or pull side panel comprises two inner flaps adjacent to both upperand lower edges of the same respectively, wherein the inner flaps remainhidden under both top and bottom panels of the box.
 6. The disposablepackaging of claim 5, wherein the expulsion side panel comprises twoinner flaps adjacent to both upper and lower edges of the samerespectively, wherein the inner flaps remain hidden under both top andbottom panels of the box.
 7. The disposable packaging of claim 5,wherein the expulsion side panel comprises a single inner flap adjacentto the upper edge of the same, wherein the inner flap remains hiddenunder the top panel of the box.
 8. The disposable packaging of claim 5,wherein the expulsion side panel does not comprise inner flaps.
 9. Thedisposable packaging of claim 6, wherein the inner upper and/or lowerflap of the expulsion side panel comprises a flattened edge in the shapeof a wedge.
 10. The disposable packaging of claim 6, wherein the innerupper and/or lower flap of the expulsion side panel comprises an edgethat is shaped according to the shape of the set of packages itcomprises.